Pushback against unilateral decisions: Shake-up on the cards in TG edn dept wings?

Hyderabad: Is the state government contemplating a reshuffle in certain wings of the Telangana State Education Department? The answer appears to be in the affirmative.

For, according to sources, “while the principal secretary is aspiring to take on a new role to head the medical and health wing, the TGBIE Secretary is also looking for a change.” Perhaps, the recent threat by the Telangana Private Junior College Management’s Association (TPJCMA) to shut down colleges triggered soul-searching in the corridors of power over the simmering discontent among the stakeholders.

The State Education Department continues to face bitter criticism from various stakeholders, mainly students and faculties of various institutions. The latest trigger is the demand of the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TGBIE) that the state government must review current affiliation policies and subject institutions to multiple conditions.

Taken aback by the demand made at short notice, the association has alleged that the TSBIE made “impractical, hard-to-implement requirements” mandatory and conducted follow-up inspections, creating confusion and fear among the managements. The association has warned the state government that continuing the current policies could cause several operational difficulties and leave them with no option but to shut down the colleges.

The TPJCMA’s warning came after association members alleged that the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education (TGBIE) introduced a slew of new compliance requirements for granting affiliations.

These include fire safety no-objection certificates, building occupancy certificates from civic authorities, and the like, though the members have submitted the required documents, thereby questioning their credibility and veracity. Besides, the huge fines being imposed are adding to the woes of private junior colleges already facing countless problems.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior official from the TGBIE said, “After the appointment of the new Secretary, the Board has been proactively pursuing steps to curb the violations that have so far been taken lightly by the colleges. The strict implementation of existing rules and slapping of higher fines, unlike in the past, are among the actions that colleges may find troubling.”

However, sources in the State Higher Education Department said the TPJCMA agitation was not the lone one. Previous protests included those of private professional colleges and Government Junior Colleges against the merger of the Board of Secondary Education and the TSBIE. The Telangana Polytechnic Joint Action Committee (TP-JAC) and student groups also organised a 35-day agitation across the state against the state government’s decision to merge government polytechnic institutions with the Young India Skills University (YISU). In view of the pushback, the government had to roll it back and it decided to keep polytechnics under the Technical Education Department.

The main accusation reaching the top was that officials are not taking stakeholders into confidence or consulting them before rolling out new initiatives, resulting in widespread discontent that the official machinery has been making unilateral decisions. So, the aggrieved include students, teachers, college managements, and university vice-chancellors, have approached the State Council of Higher Education.

Against this backdrop, a reshuffle in the education department is on the cards, sources reasoned.

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VRC Phaniharan

VRC Phaniharan[email protected]